I. Taking Charge of the Customer Experience Full Day 9AM - 4PM Deli lunch provided * Jeannette Woodward, retired library director and author of Creating the Customer-Driven Library: Building on the Bookstore Model * Hilary Norton, Border’s Book Store * Deborah Dancik, Willamette University Library and representative from ACRL

Pre-conference content description:
Bookstores and other retail stores spend much time and resources on how their stores look, how goods are displayed and how staff interact with customers. The results are stores where customers feel comfortable browsing, reading, and buying. Come learn how bookstores look at space and customer service. Learn how to make library spaces more inviting and comfortable, spaces that encourage users to stop, read and check out material. You will learn the basics of merchandising and customer service that encourages users to browse, helps them find what they need, provides customer service that users value.

Spend the morning with Jeannette Woodward, retired library director and author of Creating the Customer Driven Library: Building on the Bookstore Model. Jeannette will introduce merchandising techniques, show examples of how libraries have done it right (or not), and provide real world exercises on making improvements.

Hilary Norton, a merchandising manager for Border’s Books, will start the afternoon talking about customer service from a bookstore’s point of view, and will give tips to help your staff better connect with users.

Deborah Dancik, University Librarian at Willamette University’s Hatfield Library, will conclude by talking about ACRL's marketing and advocacy initiative. She will give examples of ongoing library successes, and will explain how all libraries can make use of ACRL's material to learn to focus services on customer needs. This is an important program for librarians who want to provide services that truly reflect the wants and needs of their community, whether they work in academic, public or special libraries.

Outcomes: Attendees will walk away with an understanding of the importance of library interior, merchandising, and customer service in libraries - both academic and public. They will leave with specific ideas that they will be able to apply to their own libraries, and an understanding of the principles that underlie these ideas. They will get an introduction to customer driven marketing principles that have been used in academic libraries (and applicable to all) and an overview of the marketing and advocacy resources available on the ACRL website.

II. Poems, Picasso, and Programs: Introducing Art and Poetry to Children
Half Day 1PM - 4PM
Lunch not included

Paige Bently, Children's Librarian
Deschutes Public Library, Bend Branch

Molding poetry and art has been the focus of Paige Bentley's professional life. For over ten years--from the Seattle Art Museum to the New York Public Library to the Bend Public Library-Paige's passion and creative style for art and literature have been combined with instructing, planning, coordinating and providing information. In this workshop, explore Paige's favorite art and poetry books while discovering ways to interact with students and patrons by discovering creative new ideas for outreach programs. Paige will bring in piles and piles of books, colorful paper, crazy art supplies, and many strange yet silly objects. Get ready to splatter paint and receive extensive
bibliographies, webliographies and handouts for various art and poetry programs. She will also include several displays and samples of art and literature programs for elementary school age kids. This is a creative and interactive workshop filled with educational resources, silliness
and fun.